The King is Dead, Long Live the King
by Fires from Above
Summary: Some wishes have terrible consequences. Because of one wish, the person once known as King Arthur has vanished from the annals of history, meaning that another must take up the heavy burden of kingship. Hail the Once and Future King, Uzumaki Naruto.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Who cares? Don't own this shit. Don't own any shit.**

**Warnings:**

**Essentially, the author of this story isn't the best author on this website, but he tries. He tries. Therefore, expect the following:**

**AU, heavily OOC, butchering of character's personalities and actions in order to fit the story, lack of knowledge on both Nasuverse and Narutoverse mechanics, twisted troll-logic, bad syntax and grammar, suspicious spelling, and complete and utter mangling of canon.**

**Enjoy. Viewer discretion is advised.**

* * *

When Uzumaki Naruto goes to sleep, his dreams always began with the same scene.

An open grassy knoll, a green plain with a clear blue sky and a blazing yellow sun that radiated warmth and light and heat. This place was an endless peaceful landscape that smelled good and felt even better, and during his dreams, the young orphan could close his eyes and doze off on the grass contentedly.

After a while, the Knight appeared. It may take a while for her to appear, from minutes to what seemed like days, but that Knight always appeared on the endless grassy plain. A figure, dressed in blue, wearing silver armor, wielding a straight-edged sword of iridescent gold.

Naruto saw this sword, and it sang to him. It was a masterwork weapon, beyond compare, so perfect as to have been forged by inhuman hands. That golden sword sang to his soul, singing promises of Hope, Victory, Glory and Salvation. And there was the Knight. An armored figure, garbed in silver and royal blue, standing on a small hill, turned away from him.

Every time, the Knight in his dreams turns to face him.

Eyes of jade green, fair blonde hair that billowed out into the wins, gleaming silver armor. Even with his senses dulled by the calm tranquility of the endless plain, Naruto could feel the weight of the Knight's gaze upon him as she stood, with that golden sword's pommel clenched with her right hand, its blade embedded in the soft dirt of the hillock on which she stood.

Naruto would look at the Knight, and the Knight would gaze back at him calmly. The small boy would note that this Knight, despite her youthful appearance, looked so old and tired and alone. And she would gaze at him with this strange expression, regretful but at the same time... Relieved.

They would stare at each other, the Knight and the young boy. Watch each other curiously, warily cautiously. The knight would be the first one to break the silence. She would sigh softly, releasing a long drawn-out breath, before continuing to stare at Naruto, with those same, strangely piercing world-weary eyes.

And then she (For this person was undeniably a 'she') would speak.

"Surpass me."

Those were the only two words that the Knight ever said. Shortly after speaking, her form would vanish, and all that would be left behind in Naruto's dreams would be himself, a golden sword that was forged from glory and salvation, and a grassy plain that embodied the concepts of peace and goodwill amongst all men.

The dreams shifted from there. The plain vanished, and a new set of images arose.

A sword in a stone, and a slim hand reaching towards it-

An old man wielding arcane power, warning that if the sword was taken-

A round table of armored figures, and each face at that table was-

Standing at the head of an army, and the whisperings-

Betrayal, by one who was closest-

Cold. Cold running through his body-

A hill. A hillock, blasted and barren of any life, weeping rivers of blood and piled with mountains of corpses, rotting, fecund and dead. A hill embedded with swords. Swords to outfit an army, swords that slay men, blood-stained, broken.

Alone, bleeding out from a chest wound, broken and dying on a hill of swords, slain by a son-

A name. Pendragon, King of Knights, Once and Future King-

Uzumaki Naruto wakes from the dream. And he can't help but wonder...

Was it truly a dream? Or was it something else?

(_Memories of who you once were, of a past long gone and a land far away_.)

* * *

There aren't many people that enjoy Naruto's presence. In fact, it would be far more truthful to say that they hated him.

Oh, no one ever lays a hand on him, but it's obvious that these people have a less than pleasant disposition towards the small boy.

Little gestures. Conversations break off whenever the boy draws near, the looks of contempt and disgust and cold indifference, the fact that Naruto is living on the bare minimum of essentials and income.

The fact that he has been living all on his own, and has been doing so for some time now.

Yet among all the people in the village that Naruto lives in, there are a few people that don't seem to outright hate him on sight.

One of these people is an old man dressed in robes and a funny hat, who does most of his work in a tall tower near the center of the village.

Naruto enjoy spending time with this old man. He is a calming presence, one of the more stable influences in his life (_Not unlike an old wizard, the King's advisor, mentor and friend... Infuriatingly irritating as he was... _), and thus, Uzumaki Naruto treasures whatever time he spends with the old man in the funny hat.

Especially when the old man takes him out to go eat ramen. After all, hunger is the great enemy. And for young Uzumaki Naruto, ramen is one of the best ways of dealing with this enemy.

The old man and Naruto have conversations over bowls of these noodles. How the day has been, has anything interesting happened, so on and so forth.

One day, Naruto asks what the old man does as for a living.

"I'm a Hokage." He smiles indulgently.

"What's a Hokage?"

"A protector of the village. A leader of the village. The head of this village."

Naruto takes a moment to think about this, and for some strange reason, recalls two words...

_("Surpass me."_)

He isn't too sure, but he gets the feeling that... Being a leader... That's important somehow.

Naruto nods solemnly. "Is it hard?"

The old man smiles sadly. "It is. Being the Hokage is a terrible burden at times."

"But..." Naruto flounders about for a moment before asking...

"Is it worth it?"

A moment of hesitation, before the old man speaks again. "Every day."

It is then that Naruto comes to a decision. That Knight wants him to surpass her, to over come her, to become greater than her. And so...

"Then I would like to become a Hokage one day."

He needs to surpass the Knight. He wants to surpass the Knight. He has to surpass the Knight. Because she said to, because it was written in the stars so long ago, because he needs to know why. Why he dreams of swords and battle, why he dreams of a peaceful utopia, and why that Knight looks so old yet young, so relieved yet haunted, why that Knight looks at him so regretfully.

Naruto's childish mind therefore comes to the conclusion that he would receive the answers to his questions if he surpassed the knight.

The old man smiles and pats his head, ruffling spiky blond tresses playfully.

"I'm sure you will become the Hokage. One day."

Naruto blinks up at the funny old man with his overly large blue eyes.

Of course he's going to become the Hokage. He has to surpass that person after all, and although he isn't too sure, he's pretty certain that becoming the Hokage is a step towards surpassing the Knight.

* * *

There are some things that Naruto knows by instinct, some actions he undertakes that feel nostalgic and familiar.

He prefers blue clothing. Blue, a royal blue just feels right, natural, fitting. Second nature.

He is good at gambling and games of chance, though he does not often partake in such activities very often. He enjoys good food, but doesn't eat junk food all day long. He is diligent in that it is second nature for him to wake up early in the morning, and go out to a field in order to exercise his body. He does this every day.

He doesn't have a real training schedule, only one dredged up from some dark corner of his mind (_A laughing older brother, teasing him, asking him if he can keep up_), but it seems to do the job.

He is a serious child. He doesn't express anger, he doesn't express happiness, he is as inscrutable as a still lake on a calm summer day. Calm and unfathomable.

It feels right to him, that he should be so unflappable (_The king is not human, and you cannot protect anyone with human emotions_-), so calm as to be cold. It feels natural, as if it's second nature. It isn't that he cannot feel emotion at all, it's that he's concealing his emotions, hiding his true feelings so as to be completely inscrutable and stone-like.

He wants to be a Hokage, because there is a person he has to surpass and questions that have to be answered.

Uzumaki Naruto will become a Hokage. (_You will become a King, and surpass me in every way. Do what I could not, and rise to your title as rightful King of Britain. That is the wish that was made on that Holy Grail._)

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto is slated to attend the Ninja Academy. He isn't really sure what to feel about that prospect.

He is to become a ninja. A Shinobi of Konoha. An _Assassin_. (_Gutless cowards hiding in the shadows, honorless thieves, backstabbing wretches_.) One who fights without honor, without inhibition. One who does not abide by any code of chivalry. A most dishonorable warrior.

For some reason, that rankles at Naruto. For some reason, the idea of becoming a shinobi breaks some self-imposed rule placed by Naruto. (_Battle should be conducted honorably and fairly..._)

He deliberates. He isn't really sure if he wants to be a Shinobi. For the first time in his life, he has dreamless rest as he lays in his bed, shuddering until dawn breaks over the horizon. And then he reminds himself that he has to become a Hokage in order to surpass that Knight. In order to become a Hokage...

Uzumaki Naruto has to become a ninja. That's the only way to get the answers he seeks. The only way to surpass the Knight.

In order to become a Hokage, Naruto will become a ninja. Though it may sting at him, though for some reason he dislikes the idea of becoming a ninja, in order to fulfill his dreams, he will have to put aside his own inhibitions and fulfill his duty.

Though this decision does leave a sour taste in his mouth for quite some time.

The night before he is to join the Ninja Academy, he dreams of that Knight again. They stare at each other for a while, the Knight and the boy.

The Knight looks at him in anguish, anger and depression and disapproval. This takes Naruto by surprise. The Knight has never looked at him with disapproval before.

He speaks unconsciously. He doesn't even think about the words as they pass through his lips, he just speaks.

"I don't think... Being a ninja is just being a mercenary for hire, or a super-powered thug. Everybody has their own reasons for being a ninja. To protect. To serve. For country, for friends for family..."

He trails off.

"... Perhaps there can be honor among thieves? Maybe being a ninja... Is subjective, and is only defined by what your definition of a ninja is."

The Knight says nothing, merely regards him, and once again Naruto wonders at the regret lurking beneath her green eyes and what could have caused such a noble figure regret.

"And why are you going to become a ninja?" The Knight finally asks at length.

The answer to this question is easy.

"Because I have to surpass you."

This time, there is a faint hint of sadness glimmering in those bright green eyes.

"See to it that you don't fall down the slippery slope then." The Knight sighs. "Perhaps I was too quick to judge. I have no right to criticize how another should live and rule, not after..." She trails off. "This is not my world, they are not my people, and this is not my kingdom. I cannot tell you how to rule. I cannot tell you how to live, I cannot force you into making any decisions that you do not wish to make. I can only guide you, for in the end, all of your choices are your own to make. Such is our Fate, and the nature of our wish."

The Knight looked as if she were about to say more, but she didn't. She merely nods, jerkily, and steps back, fading away into golden motes of dust.

And then she was gone.

* * *

Umino Iruka isn't sure what to make of Uzumaki Naruto.

Iruka remembers when he received his first class of students as a Chunin teacher. He had watched those little figures shuffle in through the door of the classroom, and he had felt several things, all at once. He felt fear that he would be a terrible teacher, felt a slight amount of disgust and horror directed at himself and the village (_He was teaching children how to kill, for crying out loud, and how many would die once they graduated? _), and he felt a mounting sense of panic rising up inside his body (_I'm not cut out for this_).

After a space of a second, Umino Iruka had ruthlessly crushed his fears and terrors. He was a Shinobi of Konohagakure and he would carry out his duty, regardless of any misgivings that he may have.

And so he had watched the children walk through the door of his classroom, and scrutinized them briefly. Some, he had noted, looked prepared for the life of a Ninja (_Subtle clothing, calluses on hands and graceful manner of walking indicative of former training in some discipline of close-quarters combat_), while others were... Civilians, 'playing Ninja' would be the best description. (_Bright, expensive, flashy clothes, reeking of perfume or food, soft hands, no muscular strength whatsoever..._)

"Alright class settle down." Iruka had said dispassionately.

He had told the class to introduce themselves stating their names and some various information about themselves. (_Likes, dislikes, etc...)_ When he had reached Uzumaki Naruto...

A serious-faced child had walked up to the front of the classroom. A solemn child, wearing tasteful and functional blue clothing. Golden blond hair that drew the eye, three 'whisker' marks marring each cheek, and those eyes...

Blue orbs that were reminiscent of a still body of water, calm and undisturbed, deep of depth, unfathomable, unknowable. Those eyes were the eyes of a warrior, or a king. Those eyes...

Even the manner in which Naruto spoke was unusual. He spoke quietly and tersely, but he drew the ear. He drew attention. His voice was layered with authority and respectability. It was the voice of someone who disliked speaking, yet in the rare instances that they did speak, were _heard_.

"Uzumaki Naruto. The reason I'm here is so that I might surpass a certain person one day."

He stated this factually. Not arrogantly, not contemptuously, but factually, as if he were talking about the weather or some other trivial piece of nonsense.

The reactions of his classmates were also unusual in that they were subdued. There was no jeering, there was no laughing or taunting, or even idle chatter while Naruto was speaking. Only silence as children listened with the full force of their attention. It was as if they had unknowingly recognized a leader, and subconsciously deferred to him. Such was Naruto's charisma.

All Iruka could think as he watched that boy walk back to his desk and sit down was,

_What a strange child._

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto grew. He grew stronger, faster, better. He didn't spend his time idly. He trained, oh how he trained. Exercising to improve his physical fitness, studying to improve his mind. He placed at the top of his class not because he was a natural genius, but because he genuinely worked to the bone, worked until he was a twitching mess of bruises on the ground, worked his mind until he suffered terrible migraines.

Part of why he worked so hard was out of pride. Pride in his own abilities as a rising warrior, and the knowledge that he could always... Be better. (_The King is not allowed to show any weakness, the King must be perfect_.)

Part of why he worked so hard was because in order to surpass the Knight, he had to become a Hokage. The Hokage was the best ninja in the village. He Hokage had to be the strongest, the fastest, the smartest, the bravest. In order to become a Hokage, Naruto had to excel at everything.

And as he grew, as he trained... He remembered strange things.

He knew where to hit a man to incapacitate, and he knew where to stab a man in order to kill him the most efficiently. Sometimes he caught himself writing in a strange foreign script.

He knew how to step to avoid an enemy's punches, and at times, he found himself staring out at a training ground, fist clenched, as if he were holding a stick, or a sword. And when he was sparring with his classmates, he found himself moving as if he did have some sort of weapon in his hand before he caught himself.

Sometimes, Uzumaki Naruto looks at himself and wonders if he is going out of his mind.

* * *

Eventually, that young boy graduates. He places at the top of his class, blowing all the other contestants out of the water.

There are whispers. 'Unnatural,' they call him. Strange, fey, monster, emotionless and oh so cold. And no normal child is that cold, no child that withdrawn.

Uzumaki Naruto hears all this. He isn't truly emotionless. Instead he has hidden his feelings, burying them beneath a cold, stony and august exterior. That is what he has been told in class after all.

"A shinobi must always put the mission first."

"A shinobi must never show their tears."

"A shinobi must never show any weakness."

The side effect of this is that Naruto is slowly losing the capability to emphasize with his peers. (_The King cannot understand human emotions_.) But that's alright. As long as Naruto becomes the best Hokage, the perfect leader, it won't matter what others think of him. It won't matter what he thinks of others, as long as he rules with a just and fair hand.

* * *

"Team Seven. Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Uzumaki Naruto. Your Jonin-sensei will be Hatake Kakashi."

And this is where the story truly begins.

Hail the conquering king.

* * *

**A/N:**

**This story is an experiment. I'm trying to refine my style of writing while writing a semi-serious story. I'm also trying to get rid of this stupid writer's block that's prevented me from writing anything for the past six months.**

**Updates for this story and for the rest of my stories will be slow. I'm still a student after all, and this year is one of the busiest I've ever had in my life.**

**I write because I want to write, and if I choose not to update a story, it's because of my own reasons. No amount of cajoling or begging will force me to change my mind.**

**Any sort of criticism is accepted and encouraged. It is how I develop as a writer after all.**

**Now I bid you, the reader, farewell.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Who the fuck cares. Don't own this shit. Don't own any shit.**

**Warnings:**

**Essentially, the author of this story isn't the best author on this website, but he tries. He tries. Therefore, expect the following:**

**AU, heavily OOC, butchering of character's personalities and actions in order to fit the story, lack of knowledge on both Nasuverse and Narutoverse mechanics, twisted troll-logic, bad syntax and grammar, suspicious spelling, and complete and utter mangling of canon.**

**Enjoy. Viewer discretion is advised.**

* * *

Hatake Kakashi is prepared to fail his team. Every year, he is assigned a Genin team, and every year, he fails them and sends them back to the Ninja Academy as washouts, failures, dropouts. It is because every team that he receives lacks a certain element he's looking for among them.

And it looks as if this new team he is receiving will be the same as all the previous teams he has failed. The masked man shook his head, causing his spiky silver hair to bob in the wind as he took out an orange-jacketed book (_Ah, Icha-Icha, so entertaining..._) and buried his nose in it, all the while taking up a slouched position against the brick wall of the Academy.

He currently appears to be lazy and incompetent. He appears to be a complete slacker, relaxed and totally at ease. This slightly goofy appearance belies the hardened killer that is Hatake Kakashi. This man has killed, killed, and killed again. This man has caused rivers to run red with blood, caused his enemies to shudder in fear at the whispering of his name. This man can kill another man in at least a dozen ways without a weapon, and can break that man in even more ways.

And yet... Hatake Kakashi is still a man. And like any other man, he has emotions, feelings. He possesses regrets, oh so many regrets...

Hatake Kakashi sighed. He's reviewed the files of the Genin he would be receiving, but he knows files don't tell the entire story. Which is why he is currently camped outside of the classroom his soon to be students (_flunkies_) are residing. He isn't impressed.

No conversation, no chattering, no wondering about why the teacher is so late. (_Three hours late, to be precise_.) There's nothing but silence, deafening silence, broken by the steady ticking of a clock inside of the room. This silence is the silence of the grave. If he didn't know any better, and if his hearing and sense of smell were that of a normal civilian, Kakashi might have assumed that the room was completely deserted.

Well, the files did give Kakashi a rough idea of what to expect out of his would-be students, and so far they're living up to all of his deductions.

Haruno Sakura. Ranked as the number one Kunoichi of her class. Possesses excellent Chakra control, but is physically lacking. Has book-smarts, but not much real world experience. As for her personality, well... She had been noted as having an 'obsession' with one Uchiha Sasuke. Obsession is putting it lightly. The girl's only interests were Sasuke, being pretty, Sasuke having a nice figure (_She diets for crying out loud, what sort of sensible Ninja diets?_), Sasuke, showing that she's book smart, and Sasuke.

Which brings him to his second would-be student, Uchiha Sasuke. Last of his clan after the Uchiha Massacre some years ago. Ranked overall as the number two Shinobi of his class, but just barely edging out the overall number one student in Ninjutsu. The boy was a lone wolf, and he reminded Kakashi all too uncomfortably of himself when he was Sasuke's age. (_Those days, with Minato, Obito and Rin... All gone now. Every one, gone._) as it stands, the boy was dark, surly and acted, to be brutally honest, like an asshole. Oh he was skilled, and there was some justification for his brooding personality, but the fact remains: he's completely anti-social, and is just a hairsbreadth away from completely snapping and going over the edge.

And then there was his final student. Uzumaki Naruto. Kakashi sighs. Uzumaki Naruto. That name that elicits so much regret and brings up memories of so much failure. (_Minato, Kushina, what would you think of me right now_?)

He doesn't even know if he can face Uzumaki Naruto, a living testament to his failures as a person, as a student, as a Shinobi. But he must. But he must.

Uzumaki Naruto. Ranked number one in his class overall. Excels at everything except Ninjutsu, where Uchiha Sasuke just barely edges him out. The boy is noted as being extremely anti-social almost exactly like Sasuke in that regard. Uzumaki Naruto is cold, unfeeling, emotionless. He has no friends in his class, and there are only a few people in the entire village of Konoha that could be regarded as the boy's friend. (_Once again, Kakashi is reminded too uncomfortably of himself at a young age, so alone among his peers._) But the boy... For all his anti-social ways, he was noted as being strangely charismatic. He didn't speak much, but when he did speak, his opinions were heard, his voice akin to a commanding shout of authority. ("_Did that come from Minato?" Kakashi wonders. "That charisma that Minato also possessed? That presence that made him seem to be the center of the world, that voice that so many followed?"_)

Hatake Kakashi does not relish the prospect of facing Team Seven. But he must. Orders are orders, and there is no real reason to disobey orders just because he does not wish to face a group of Genin. And so, Kakashi Hatake prepares himself, mentally and physically, for the task that is to come.

Kakashi opened the window of the classroom, and jumped right through it with nary a whisper. The consummate professional. (_And isn't that description such a lie?_)

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto decided that he beginning to dislike Hatake Kakashi. The man was three hours late after all.

Perhaps it was understandable? Perhaps the man was busy, or had something to do. (_All soldiers have their duties._) Perhaps Hatake Kakashi had suffered terrible injuries from an unfortunate accident, or something along those lines. If there was a legitimate reason why he was so late, a reason that was perfectly understandable, then Naruto couldn't really fault him for his tardiness. Even if it was annoying.

Thus the boy sat in his seat, behind his desk, outwardly appearing completely calm and relaxed, even if he was beginning to have some slight irritation building up towards his wayward 'sensei'.

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke glared irritably at the calm and composed boy sitting several seats behind him. How the hell could that guy remain so calm even when their sensei is three hours late? It boggled the mind. Not to mention, that guy... That guy...

Uzumaki Naruto acted like Ita-, no, That Man. So calm, elegant, poised, and so goddamn good at everything. First in close quarters combat, first in theory, first in everything! Everything! (_Except for Ninjutsu_,_ Sasuke thinks vindictively._) Uchiha Sasuke dislikes Uzumaki Naruto because he acknowledges that Uzumaki Naruto is better than him. It subsumes Sasuke's pride, to see that some random civilian-born was able to garner more power than him, was able to soar beyond him while Sasuke himself remained still.

The less said about Sasuke's feelings towards Haruno Sakura, the better. Sasuke had no time for useless fangirls, for wastes of space that would only pull him down. Naruto however, Sasuke could use Naruto. Naruto would be a stepping stone so that Sasuke could finally kill That Man.

Yes, that is what Sasuke would do. Naruto would be the stick he would use to measure his skills. He would learn from Naruto, figure out how Naruto got so much stronger than he himself did. Sasuke would attain that power, and then attain more power so that he could crush the blond effortlessly. And then he would go after That Man and kill him so that his dead clan might be avenged. (_Mother, Father, Uncle, Aunt, Cousins..._)

* * *

Haruno Sakura was irritated. For a while, she had been ecstatic at being placed in a team with her beloved 'Sasuke-kun', but now? Now she was just plain annoyed.

Their Jonin-sensei was three hours late after all. Three whole hours. God! What was wrong with the man? What a total bag of hammers! But still... At least she was with Sasuke, right? Right?

Wrong.

Her team was completely dysfunctional. So far they had been seated for three hours in complete silence with nary a word spoken. One member sat in contemplative silence, one member sat in brooding, angsting silence, and one sat in silence because she honestly couldn't figure out what to say, or how to start a pleasant conversation.

Her teammates were brick walls, completely stoic and unfeeling. It was annoying. (_Why the fuck doesn't either of you say anything? Goddamn it!_)

Well, at least she was placed with Sasuke. That has to count for something, right?

And then the window opened and a man jumped through. A strange man, dressed in a green flak vest atop a blue body suit, the typical attire of Konoha's Jonin. Atypically, hid headband was slanted to cover one eye, and he had a face mask pulled up to his nose so that the rest of his face was completely covered. His grey hair was also spiked up ridiculously.

Sakura looked at this strange man angrily. This... This was their Jonin-sensei? Really?

"Hey. Are you our Jonin-sensei? Hatake Kakashi-san, right? " She asked, trembling with anger.

The man 'eye-smiles' for lack of a better word, one eye curving up cheerfully.

"Yup!"

"Then why are you THREE HOURS LATE?!" She screeched, standing up from her seat and pointing an accusing finger at the tall lanky man.

"Ah well, I got lost on the road of life." Kakashi laughed as he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

Silence. Complete and utter silence.

Naruto immediately retracted any favorable opinion he may have had regarding the person that is Hatake Kakashi, and found himself starting to genuinely dislike the gray-haired Jonin. (_I really hate this kind of person._)

Sasuke's left eyelid began to twitch in anger and annoyance. (_Useless! This entire team is useless_!)

Sakura's mouth went slack, before she closed it and glared at Kakashi in sheer unadulterated rage. (_What the heck kind of excuse is that? Huh?_)

Kakashi turned to survey his 'team'. He sighed. (_What a motley lot._) His lone eye slid across their forms, across the civilian girl's form (_Green eyes, long pink hair. Slim in body wearing a red dress, has a lack of musclar development due to dieting, smooth unmarred hands..._) across his brooding student's slouched form (_Black of eye and hair, and quite possibly temperament, considerably developed considering his age, wearing practical clothing typical of a Uchiha, blue shirt with the fan on its back and cargo pants_) and then...

He looked at Naruto. And for a while, all he sees is his dead teacher, returned from the grave. But then he looked more closely, and he began to pick out the differences between his dead teacher and his student. (_Blond with blue eyes, relatively short all things considering. Back ramrod straight, arms and legs tucked in, and nary an ounce of emotion crossing that face. How professional. It looks as if he's been eating and exercising adequately. Again, practical clothing. Blue shirt and black pants, both of durable quality. Cheap, yet workable. And... Ooh! He has a sword strapped to his back. Medium length, straight-edged, sharp on both sides, cheap yet workable._)

-And then the boy looked at him directly, and Kakashi was pinned beneath a laser-beam gaze, blue eyes that dissected him completely and utterly, seeing through all of his deceptions, unraveling all of his mysteries, bright blue eyes that completely and utterly analyzed him, just like Minato had done before him-

Kakashi turned away from Naruto casually. (... _More like hurriedly. Uzumaki Naruto... You act so much like your father did, it's not even funny._) He cleared his throat, and spoke.

"So." He mused. "You're my team, eh? Well, my first impression of you..."

Kakashi's lone eye curved up cheerfully once again. "... Is that I dislike you. All of you. Well then, meet me on the roof in five minutes!"

And with a swirl of the wind and a smattering of leaves, he vanished. Gone to the roof, to contemplate, to think, to be haunted by his ghosts once more. Kakashi pulled out his book and starts reading again.

"What would you think of me, my friends in heaven? Obito, Rin... Minato."

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto saw that infuriating man go, and he frowned. A tiny frown, almost imperceptible, but still a frown.

Uzumaki Naruto looked at his teammates, and saw that they have not moved from their positions at all. He shook his head slightly in order to get his bearings and adjusted the sword at his side a little, before he spoke.

"I think that it is best if we go to the roof. There is no point in tarrying here any longer after all, so we had best be on our way."

And with that one statement, the brusque boy got out of his seat and went to the door of the classroom, opening that door and stepping out into the hall. He was followed shortly afterwards by a shell-shocked Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke. One's eye was still twitching, and a pulsating vein had appeared on the pinkette's forehead.

* * *

Kakashi saw his 'team' come onto the roof from where he was perched on a railing and he sighed, flipping his orange book shut and tucking it away in his flak vest.

"Great." He said blandly. "You're all here within five minutes. How wonderful for you. Now we can all introduce ourselves." There was a long awkward silence. "You know, likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams for the future?"

Another beat of silence before Sakura spoke up. "How about you go first, sensei?"

Kakashi's lone eye curved up in another 'eye-smile'. "Alright then. My name is Hatake Kakashi. My likes... Hmm, I have a lot of those. I have the same number of dislikes as my likes. You're all too young to know my hobbies and dreams for the future, so don't worry about that. Pinky, you're up next."

Naruto and Sasuke twitched, and Sakura glared at Kakashi with growing rage before she caught what he had said.

"Ah! I'm Haruno Sakura. I like..." She trailed off and turned to gaze at Sasuke dreamily, before giggling and returning to reality. "I hate masked idiots who are late to important events." Here she turns to glare at Kakashi. "My hobbies and dreams for the future..." She began giggling again, all the while looking at Sasuke suggestively.

"Neat. Broody, you go next."

Sasuke grunted in annoyance. "Sasuke Uchiha. I have a lot of dislikes, but it doesn't matter since there is almost nothing I like. I train a lot. My dream for the future… no, my ambition is to revive my clan, and to kill a certain man."

You could almost feel the sheer amount of angst and emo emanating off of his form. It was taht thick.

"Okay. Blondie-"

"Uzumaki Naruto. I like well-structured meals. I dislike eccentric old men and manipulative young men. As for my hobbies, I train and read. My dream for the future is to become a Hokage." (_So that I can surpass that Knight._) Naruto stated stiffly, cutting Kakashi off mid-sentence.

Kakashi shook his head. Two completely anti-social people (One dark and angsting, the other cold and unfeeling) and a fangirl. What a collection of walking neuroses.

"Great," he said at length, and clapped his hands together. " Now that we all know each other, I get to tell you about what we're going to be doing tomorrow. We'll be having a test-"

"Test?" Sakura raised her hand in confusion. "Sensei, we already had a test."

Kakashi smiled. "Did you really think it's that easy? The Academy test is a farce, meant only to separate the downright terrible from the mediocre and exceptional. Now it is the Jonin-sensei's task to fail the mediocre."

Sakura paled. "Sensei?"

"Nine teams of Genin, formed from a class of twenty-seven. Out of those nine, on average, about three pass every year. The rest are sent back to the Academy for another year."

"But that's-!"

"Now as I was saying..." Kakashi said loudly, bulldozing over Sakura's objection. "... We will be having a test tomorrow morning. I expect you all to be at the Third Training Ground at 0700 hours, on the dot." Kakashi turned his back on his 'team'. "And by the way, don't eat breakfast or you'll be sick."

And with that statement, Kakashi left in another swirl of leaves, leaving behind three very confused and angry Genin.

Sakura sputtered in anger. "But that's! He can't! This is!"

Naruto summed up what everyone was thinking in a short deadpan statement.

"What an unpleasant man."

* * *

At exactly 0700 hours, Team Seven reconvened at the Third Training Ground. It was a nice place, possessing a view of several mountains on the horizon. Within this training ground, there was a large and deep river, and it was heavily forested, with the exception of a glade with three stumps in the center, lined side by side.

Kakashi wasn't there. Of course.

And so they settled into the long wait, waiting for their wayward teacher.

* * *

Three hours later, Kakashi showed up.

"Yo!"

"... You're late." Sakura muttered bitterly.

Sasuke and Naruto settled for glaring at the silvery-haired man.

"Well, a black cat crossed my path so I had to take the long way it." Kakashi stated matter-of-factly, causing his 'students' to deadpan and if anything, intensify their glares.

"... Okay then. Let's get started." Kakashi dropped an old fashioned alarm clock on one of the wooden posts in the glade tree stump and set it. "Here we go. This clock is set to go off at noon. Your assignment is very simple. You just have to take..." He paused to pull a pair of bells attached to each other by a red string from his vest. "... These bells from me. That's all there is to it. If you can't get a bell, you go without lunch. You'll get tied to one of these posts and watch while your team mates eat lunch in front of you."

Cue the grumbling stomachs of the Genin.

"There are only two bells." Sasuke was the one to point out the obvious 'flaw' in this arrangement.

Kakashi smiled. "That way, one of you will ultimately end up tied to the post and disqualified for failing to complete the test. The one person who does not get a bell will end up going back to the Academy for another year."

He paused. "Oh, I should tell you. Come at me with lethal force if you don't want to fail."

That threw his Genin for a loop.

"But Kakashi-sensei! You might-" Sakura trailed off.

"Ah, I'm sure I'll be fine. Now let the test... Begin!"

The clock began ticking, and the test began as all but one of the Genin that would be facing Kakashi hurriedly sought cover in the forest. Naruto glared at Kakashi defiantly from where he was standing.

"And what are you doing? Do you really think you can take me on by yourself?" Kakashi asked amusedly, before he took out his orange-jacketed book and began to browse through its pages once again. "Well then go ahead, Mr. Rookie of the Year. Show me what you've got."

The blond reached for the sword at his side and unsheathed it, gripping it in his both of his hands and taking up a ready stance. And then, without further notice...

... He charged, a headlong sprint at Kakashi. (_Actually, pretty darn fast for a Genin. Interesting. Also, no taunts, no words spoken... Nothing. How professional._)

"Well then, here we go." Kakashi muttered. He didn't even deign to close his book in response to the threat bearing down on him. "Lesson number one: Taijutsu."

Naruto swiped at Kakashi with those sword, but his attacks are completely ineffectual. The silvery-haired Jonin simply ducked and weaved out of the way of his attacks. Naruto continued pressing on however, despite the ineffectiveness of his attacks.

"Hmm, so far not bad." Kakashi states casually, while dodging to the side of a stab aimed at his stomach. (_It seems like he's actually aiming to seriously wound me here. Most of those attacks were aimed at places like my knees and elbows and such, so he is aiming to incapacitate-_)

The sword made a hissing sound as it swung through the air and buzzed across the side of Kakashi's face as he quickly dodged the fast-moving length of sharp steel in slight shock. Naruto backed away, and took up his stance again, ready to continue his assault.

"Alright. So far so good, I guess. Now, my turn." Kakashi 'eye-smiled' cheerfully, before closing his book and tucking it into his vest. (_Holy hell, that was a close one. Nearly took out my other eye. I better treat him a little more seriously._)

And with that, he attacked, and the battle ensued. Kakashi advanced on Naruto, who was poised and ready to receive the first blow, before Kakashi vanished, only to be replaced by a log.

Naruto blinked at this, before he suddenly spun around and parried a stab aimed at his back.

"That's good, good..." Kakashi murmured. (_Good reaction time, good to see that he's alert..._) "But how long can you keep up, I wonder...?"

And with that, the clash of blades began. As Kakashi countered Naruto's counter from his own attempted backstabbing, he absently noted holes in his style, places where he lagged behind,or took too long to recover. (_But overall, Naruto's style of fighting with that blade is actually pretty good. As expected of the Rookie of the Year, I guess. But if I do this...!_)

Kakashi dodged one more swing and parried another, and then struck. His left leg went flying out, and he tripped Naruto who went sprawling onto the ground, though he recovered in a matter of seconds. But when he got back up, Kakashi had vanished once again,

Naruto shifted about restlessly. (_Above? Left. Right? In front...?_)

"Right here." Kakashi rose out of the earth, and just before Naruto went to face him...

"Konohagakure Secret Finger Technique: One Thousand Years of Death!"

... He poked Naruto in the ass with his index and middle fingers, actually sending the boy flying in the air from the force of the poke...

... Before Naruto's form disappeared in a puff of smoke, only to be replaced by a log.

"... Kawarimi. You ran before I had even attacked, huh?" Kakashi wondered, almost in disdain, kicking the log he had poked aside carelessly. "Well, I'm sure I can do something about that."

A brace of shuriken suddenly zoomed out of the forest, only to be deflected or blocked by a mildly amused Kakashi.

"Speaking of... I better go deal with my other wayward students. Oi, you might as well show yourself right now. I know where you are, you know."

A disgruntled Uchiha Sasuke trundled out of the forest.

"Ah, so it's Mr. Number Two. And what makes you think you can take me on when Naruto couldn't?" Kakashi asks cheerfully.

Sasuke scowls. "If that guy can scratch you, then I can definitely defeat you. So don't take me so lightly. I'm better than him."

"Maa, we don't know about that." Kakashi dabbed his cheek slightly, eye-smiling tensely when he noted slight traces of blood on his fingers. (_Damn, he actually nicked me there. Didn't expect to be wounded at all during the course of this little excursion. Did not expect a Genin to be that good around a blade._) "So far, I'm not particularly impressed, Number Two."

Sasuke charged Kakashi recklessly.

"Well then, here we go. Lesson number two: Ninjutsu..."

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto ran into the forest and he hates every single moment of his retreat.

Naruto hated running from anything. He absolutely hated it. He absolutely, positively hated running, hated sneak tactics, hated any sort of retreat. But he is no fool. He isn't stupid. He knew now that he had absolutely zero chance of taking Kakashi on by himself. Not after the man nearly gave him that super ass-poke.

Naruto shivered slightly. That wouldn't have been pleasant. Luckily enough, he had the presence of mind to Kawarimi with a nearby log. Otherwise...

No, Uzumaki Naruto was no fool. He knew now, after facing the man, that for all his strengths and abilities, he had absolutely no chance against Kakashi alone. He knew that, and that was why he was running away from the man and trying to get a moment of reprieve. Better to do something that he dislikes currently and achieve victory than to throw away any chance at victory by doing something idiotic like charging a superior opponent head on.

(_The King must choose between what is easy and what is right. The fate of an entire Kingdom rests on the King's choices._)

The question now, was... What to do now? By himself, he definitely had no chance at victory. But perhaps...

(_Looking at a battlefield and watching several armored Knights fighting it out, fighting side by side while he himself fights alone... Watching as the many inferior defenders overwhelm the few superior aggressors..._)

... Perhaps he would need to enlist some help. Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura. Both are skilled, he knows that much for certain. Perhaps the many could overwhelm the few. Although he would prefer to fight by himself, Naruto knew that if he is to have any hope of victory in this test, he must bring down Hatake Kakashi, and he knew that he cannot do that by himself. If he can't bring down Hatake Kakashi and retrieve the bells, he can't become a Ninja, and if he can't become a Ninja, he can't become a Hokage, and if he does not become a Hokage...

... He cannot ever surpass that Knight that stands alone on a grassy knoll. The blond boy nodded decisively before moving to go search for Uchiha Sasuke, all the while making sure he stayed hidden. (_Though he hated every single moment of his concealment, and longed for the time when he could once again fight openly_.)

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke was currently buried in a hole so that only his head stuck out of the rich earth. He looked very disgruntled and irritated.

"I really expected more from you, Sasuke." Kakashi sighed. "Too bad."

Sasuke continued to glare daggers at Kakashi.

"See ya." The Jonin waved gaily at the irritable Uchiha, before going off into the forest.

It really was too bad. Compared to Naruto, Sasuke was just that tiny bit slower, just that tiny bit weaker, and he didn't even have the threat detection capabilities that Naruto had. In one fell swoop, he had been defeated and pulled into the earth in which he was currently residing.

Although, he did give Kakashi a tiny bit of a workout. Then again, Naruto also gave Kakashi a workout and Kakashi still hadn't subdued Naruto yet.

"Hmm. That's two out of three..." Kakashi surreptitiously scanned the forest. (_One in the clearing, one's quite a distance away, and one... Hello._)

"Lesson number three: Genjutsu." Beneath his mask, Kakashi smirked predatorily as he began moving silently to where a certain pink-haired girl was residing.

* * *

Haruno Sakura blinked incoherently as she slowly came to. "Huh... Whuzzit...?"

And then she remembered the events of the past few minutes and what caused her to faint.

"Oh god! Sasuke-kun! The blood! Oh god! Oh god-"

"Sakura, calm down."

Sakura blinked. "Naruto? Where's Sasuke-kun? He's injured! I need to help him! And then-"

"Sakura. Pleasr calm down." Naruto stated in a placid tone of voice, though you could tell by his body language that he wasn't in a good mood currently. "Sasuke is fine, but he's currently incapacitated."

"What do you mean, incapacitated?" Sakura all but shrieked. "Tell me, tell me!"

"He's buried-"

"NO! SASUKE-KUN!" Sakura cried.

Naruto sighed. (_What fools and clowns I find myself surrounded by.._.) "Sakura. Sasuke is still alive. When I said buried, what I meant was buried alive-"

"NOOO!"

"-So that his head is still sticking out and he can breath." Naruto stated a little more loudly.

"Well then, we have to go save him!"

"As I was about to say, I have a proposition for you. I cannot defeat Kakashi by myself, and having seen the results of Kakashi's battle with Sasuke, I know that Sasuke cannot defeat Kakashi by himself. Therefore, I would like to make a deal with you and Sasuke..."

* * *

"Five minutes till noon." Kakashi muttered idly from where he was leaned against a wooden post in the middle of the glade. "I wonder where those two are..."

Sasuke ignores Kakashi's words and continued to stare up at the sky. Really, it was all he could do.

"Well, I'd better go look for them." Kakashi stood up straight, and dusted his vest off with his hands, before he caught sight of some movement at the edge of the clearing.

"So, you're making his move again, Naruto?" Kakashi calls out cheerfully to the blond boy. "Well then, ready for round two?"

As before, the blond boy said nothing. He merely palmed his sword and took up a ready stance. It was as if he was telling Kakashi to come to him rather than the other way around.

"If you insist. Well then. Here we go." And with that cheerful statement, Kakashi vanished in a blur of speed. The clang of steel striking steel sang through the air.

Sasuke watched all of this from where he was buried and he gritted his teeth in frustration. Stupid Kakashi, stupid Naruto, stupid Ita-

"Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke attempted to turn his head but completely and utterly failed. Was that...?

"Sasuke-kun. Don't move. I'll get you out in no time."

And so, Sakura began digging Sasuke out of his hole in the ground.

"Haruno? What are you doing?"

"Naruto told me to get you out." Sakura blathered. "After Kakashi put me in a genjutsu that made me think you were dying, Naruto found me and offered me a deal and offered to extend the deal to you-"

"Well, what's the deal?" Sasuke snapped irritably.

"We all work together to get the bells." Sakura wetted her lips with her tongue before going back to digging. "It sounds crazy but I think... Sasuke, I think this is the only option. Kakashi-sensei's crazy strong, and I don't know how much longer Naruto can keep him off of us-"

There was a loud grunt as Naruto flew into a tree and created a dull _whump _sound as his body impacted the trunk of the tree. The stunned boy slid to the ground in a heap, before recovering himself and charging at Kakashi with a snarl on his face.

"So? What do you say, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke mulled over his options. (_Damn. Haruno's right, Kakashi is too strong. Even if I managed to touch a bell, the sadist will probably put me back in the hole. And this esy, I can use these two to get myself out of this mess and achieve the objective-_)

"Alright. Just help me out of this hole, and I'll help you two get the bells." Sasuke grumbled.

"Almost... There! You should be freed now."

After almost an hour of stillness, Sasuke finally extricated himself from his temporary prison. He flexed his fingers a bit, before proceeding to turn to where Kakashi was located. The cyclops had disarmed Naruto and was currently pinning the boy in a headlock.

"Ah, so you're working together now? Well, this might prove to be-"

The alarm clock rung.

From his headlock, Naruto groaned. Sasuke grunted in displeasure, and Sakura looked at the clock in disbelief.

Kakashi eye-smiled.

"Well, you guys... Fail!"

* * *

"You know, you did end up grasping the ultimate concept of this test, but it was only near the end of the test. Also, the fact remains, none of you ended up getting a bell." Kakashi stated.

The rest of Team Seven sighed in exasperation, Sasuke and Naruto from where they were seated on the ground, and Sakura from where she was tied to a pole.

"And what was the concept of this test, oh glorious leader?" Sasuke snarked.

"Teamwork. It was only at the end that you three actually thought about working together, and even then, it was out of an act of convenience."

"What kind of stupid..."

"Do you three think this is a game or something? You're supposed to be Ninja. You're going to be out on the field in life or death situations, and you're going to have to rely on your teammates to help you, or you're going to die."

Kakashi sighed. "What do you think the real purpose of this test was? Why do you think we were divided up into three man teams? Is it just because it makes it easier to send people back to the academy? No. It is because you are to learn what it really means to be a ninja. You three simply didn't get the real meaning of this test."

The realization finally dawned on the Genin. It was Sakura who vocalized what all three of them were thinking.

"This test was never meant to test our skills, wasn't it Kakashi-sensei? No one expects a Genin, or even a few Genin, to beat a Jonin in a fight. This test and the reason we're in three man teams… It's teamwork. We had to show teamwork to pass. It was never about the bells."

Kakashi 'eye-smiled', that lone eye curving up in a U-shape. "Exactly. I'm glad to see the three of you finally get it. Maybe if you had worked together from the beginning, this test would have been different, but we'll never know now. The good news is, I'm not sending you back to the Academy for one more year. Because you grasped the concept of the test slightly, even if it was at the very end of the test, I'll give you all one more chance to pass after you eat lunch."

"Kakashi-sensei..."

"Oh, I forgot. Sakura doesn't get lunch."

"What!" The girl shrieked.

"You didn't even try to make an effort to get the bells, unlike your teammates. That's why you get to be tied to a pole, and that's why you don't get lunch. Naruto, Sasuke, I'll give you your lunch boxes before I leave to go set up the test. Don't give lunch to Sakura though. If you do, I'll make sure that you get sent back to the Academy permanently."

* * *

After Kakashi left the group with their lunches, there was a sort of lull in the general hubbub of the day. Sasuke and Naruto looked at their respective lunches apathetically while Sakura looked at their lunches with a sort of hunger. (_Screw dieting, I'm hungry!_)

Eventually, Naruto sighed.

"Here." Naruto put down his lunch box and turned to look at Sakura. "Take it."

"What? But-"

"I do not need it, Sakura. I can go without food for a while. Besides, it appears as if you are in greater need of this lunchbox than I am."

"But-"

"You should hurry up and eat already." Naruto takes a pause to cut Sakura's bonds with a kunai, much to the girl's surprise, before using his foot to push his own lunch towards her position. "I said this before, didn't I? Hunger is our enemy."

"But what about Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura shrieks in horror.

Sasuke grunted a little before he slid his own lunch over to where Sakura was still seated. "He's not here, I can't sense him. Hurry up and eat. You'll be useless otherwise."

The pink-haired girl nodded slowly.

"I think the both of you should eat as well. We can divide two lunch boxes amongst three people, right?"

Sakura opened one of the lunch boxes and deflated.

"This is... It looks..."

Naruto frowns. "As long as you can eat it, it's fine. Anything edible is acceptable. Extravagance is our enemy."

"And what about Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura wondered.

"That man is almost certainly our enemy." Naruto stated seriously.

Silence dwelled in the clearing for a moment, before the pink-haired girl stifled a snigger and spoke with a playful tone.

"Hunger, extravagance, Kakashi-sensei... Hey, we have a lot of enemies, don't we?"

"Indeed. We are besieged on all sides."

There was a brief moment of lightness between the group. Sakura beamed, Naruto allowed a wry smile to spread across his face, and even dour Sasuke smirked a little.

And a feeling rose up inside of Naruto. Warmth, built from camaraderie and companionship, and he wondered...

(_Ah_. _Is this what it's like to be around friends?_)

He has never had friends before, merely acquaintances. For all his intelligence, for all his strength, he has never had friends before. No one has ever gotten close enough to him to be classified as a friend, and he accepted that. But now?

(_I think that I like this feeling._)

In that moment, an everlasting bond is formed. It is a shaky bond right now, untested and newly born, but it is still a bond regardless.

In the shadows of a nearby tree, Kakashi reads his book and smiles to himself.

* * *

"Team Seven, pass." Kakashi stated.

"... I'm sorry, did I hear you incorrectly?"

"Nope. Team Seven passes."

(_They'll be great, all of them. They're not the most perfect team, not yet. But they will be. They will be._)

**A/N:**

**The amount of work I put into this chapter makes me question whether or not it's actually alright to release it. I'm going to do it anyways.**

**Any and all criticism is appreciated. Outright flaming will not be tolerated.**

**I intend to utilize primarily Narutoverse mechanics in this story, since those are actually something I can understand and write. It's just simpler.**

**No, Naruto does not have Excalibur or Avalon yet. He isn't super OP to the point of godliness either. I'm trying to keep things reasonable. I'm sorry if you were expecting a curb-stomp battle, but rest assured, Naruto will be getting stronger, as will the rest of Team Seven to the point where they will be able to fight on par with some of the more bullshit-overpowered enemies in Naruto or Fate/Stay Night. It'll take time though. Baby steps.**

**The length of time between updates will vary. I am nearly on spring break, so I will have more time to write in the near future. I am currently trying to build up a buffer of chapters (4-5 chapters) so that I can release updates consistently.**

**Thank you for taking the time to read this story, as mediocre and stifling as it may be. I wish you all a pleasant day.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Who the fuck cares. Don't own this shit. Don't own any shit.**

**Warnings:**

**Essentially, the author of this story isn't the best author on this website, but he tries. He tries. Therefore, expect the following:**

**AU, heavily OOC, butchering of character's personalities and actions in order to fit the story, lack of knowledge on both Nasuverse and Narutoverse mechanics, twisted troll-logic, bad syntax and grammar, suspicious spelling, and complete and utter mangling of canon.**

**Enjoy. Viewer discretion is advised.**

* * *

"Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their teammates are worse than trash."

Naruto turned around. He is in the grassy plain once again, the peaceful, quiet field. He could smell the green grass, almost taste the crisp wind, could feel the warmth of the sun on his skin.

And facing him is that Knight. Her green eyes stare accusingly into his own blue.

"That's what that infuriating man said." The Knight clarifies. "Isn't that right?"

"Yes." Naruto replied with a frown on his face. "Yes. Yes, that's right. It's right but..."

(_A King must do what is necessary, not what is right-_)

The Knight chuckles humorlessly. "I suppose that statement is correct. To abandon your comrades, to betray their loyalty... That is one of the highest crimes a man can commit. Take that lesson to heart, and let it be one of the guide stones of your rule."

Naruto nodded stoically, taking those words in.

The Knight sighed. "The King is alone. That is what I told myself, and that is how I ruled. As a stoic monarch, perched on a cold austere throne. And I fear that those ideals, those thoughts may have influenced you far more than I would have liked."

She took a deep breath and plowed on. "Those ideals are mine, not yours. You are not me, though you may retain my experiences, my instincts, my abilities, you are not me, and you should never aspire to be like me. You will only end up bitter and alone, filled with regrets, wishing for a way out. In order to surpass me, you must not act like I did in life."

"Then how am I supposed to surpass you, if I should not act like you?" Naruto murmured.

"By being better than me. There are many paths of kingship." The Knight said quietly. "Some are better than others, and some are worse than others. I cannot tell you how to live, only advise and offer my own perspective of things. I cannot tell you how to interpret my experiences, only let you make of them what you will. Already, you are forging your own path, and in that, I am glad."

Naruto thought about for a moment.

(_Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash. Teamwork, loyalty in adversity, friends-_

_The King is alone. No, that statement seems false for some reason. But if the King is not alone, then..._)

Naruto shook his head. "So that's what those strange scenes I've been seeing are then? Your memories?"

"Yes." The Knight replies quietly.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked at length. "Who are you?"

"A foolish girl who thought she could be a King." The Knight replies. "A foolish girl who made a foolish wish on a tainted Grail, and damned the life of an innocent child."

Naruto's eyes widen. "Wait-"

And the world dissolved. The Knight watched the boy go, and she sighed.

"To think that I would be the one dissuading others from following my ideals... But then again, I know all too well where that path led me."

* * *

"Oi, Naruto. You're spacing out again."

Naruto blinked blearily at Kakashi.

"Those fences aren't going to paint themselves, you know." The man eye-smiled at Naruto from where he was lazily leaned against a fence.

Naruto murmured a brief apology before returning to his task. Team Seven was currently undertaking a D-ranked mission: Paint the fences on Suzuhara Toji's house. It was an arduous task, essentially, grunt work.

"Uzumaki. I know for a fact that you're better than this, so get your rear in gear." Sasuke whispered harshly to Naruto when he walked by.

"Sasuke, can I ask you a question?"

"What?"

(_Is the King alone?_)

Naruto paused, then shook his head.

"No. Nothing. Never mind."

"Hn. Whatever."

"Naruto?"

"Ah, Sakura?"

"What were you going to ask?"

Naruto sighed apologetically. "It's nothing. Forget I ever said anything."

"Hey, we're a team, right? You can share your troubles with your team you know. You're not alone."

(_The King is always alone-_)

"Really, I'm fine." Naruto muttered. "You don't need to worry about me. I'm fine."

Sakura shrugged. "If you insist!" And scampered off to finish painting the fence.

(_Those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash-_

_I know that you're better than this-_

_We're a team, right? You're not alone-_

_You're always alone, a King stands alone. A King has no comrades, a King has no friends, a King is not understood by anyone- _

_But that's wrong. That statement is wrong, I'm in a team, I have teammates..._

_... Then why do the villagers look at you like you're a demon. Then why are you so alone?_)

Naruto pressed a hand to his temples in order to alleviate the oncoming headache.

"Yeah. We're comrades." He said under his breath.

(_Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash. That's correct._)

* * *

"You look as if you have a lot on your mind, Naruto." Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage, chuckled amusedly as he busily tucked into a steaming bowl of ramen. He and Naruto were sitting at Ichiraku's Ramen Stall, where Hiruzen often took Naruto to eat.

Naruto merely stared at his own bowl of broth and noodles in idle contemplation.

"Naruto?"

"Hokage-sama. I... I have a question."

"Hmm? Go ahead."

"Is... Is the Hokage... How lonely a position is the position of the Hokage?"

Hiruzen raises a grey eyebrow. "And what prompted this question? Having second thoughts about becoming a Hokage?"

"Yes. Maybe. I... I've recently had..."

"Breath, Naruto." The Hokage orders. "Just tell me, what ails you?"

"I believed that to become a Hokage, one has to be perfect. A Hokage cannot be human, a Hokage must be alone. And so I lived according to these principles. I worked myself to the bone to excel in class, I didn't attempt to build connections... Now I wonder, was I wrong? Am I following the wrong path?"

Hiruzen sighed mockingly. "A Hokage must not be human? Naruto, what am I then? A rock or a blade of grass?"

"I... That is..." Naruto sputtered.

"All jokes aside..." Hiruzen sighed. "A Hokage is just as human as anyone else. A Hokage breathes just like any other human, laughs just like any other human, and cries just like any other human. A Hokage fights just like any other Ninja would fight, and a Hokage weeps just like a normal human would weep."

"So then..."

"Only a human can have a reason for being a Hokage. And one must become a Hokage out of one's own volition, not out of some misplaced sense of duty. The choice must be your own to make, and if you make it, you must see it through to the end with no regrets. As for the Hokage being alone... The Hokage is never alone.

"Hmm. Yes. Naruto, the Hokage is never alone. He can always rely on his family, and his friends and teammates and advisors. No, the position of the Hokage is not a lonely position, though it can feel that way at times."

Hiruzen looked at Naruto questioningly. "Does that answer your query?"

(_The King is never alone?_)

"... I guess."

* * *

And so a sort of schedule emerged. Team Seven would convene on a bridge. Kakashi would assign the Genin a D-rank mission, which they would complete. Then the team would undergo some training exercises before the members all went back to their respective homes.

Naruto would continue training on his own and reviewing certain books, Sasuke would do much of the same, and Sakura... Wouldn't do any sort of training whatsoever, trusting in her 'Sasuke-kun' to keep her safe.

One day, this all changed completely. The routine was smashed to pieces, and nothing would ever stay the same.

The Team entered the Mission Assignment Office with their quarry in tow. Their mission was to track down and capture the Fire Lord's Wife's car, Tora. Said cat was lazily purring in Naruto's arms while the rest of his teammates gave him odd looks.

"You know, I still can't understand just how you get along so well with that animal." Sasuke muttered disbelievingly.

"It is quite simple. I like cats." Naruto stated plaintively. "Admittedly, I would prefer lions, but a cat is fine too."

"Stupid demon cat..." Sakura muttered in irritation, all the while rubbing at her wounds. She had been mauled quite viciously by the vicious Tiger.

"... Hokage-sama! Mission completed!" Kakashi stated brightly as he proceeded to close his orange-jacketed book.

"That was fast." The Sandaime Hokage mused. "Two hours, eh? Good, good. I'll just take the cat off of you and give it to its owner later. Now, we have other D-ranks you can take on while you're here. You can deliver the groceries for-"

"With all due respect, Hokage-sama, I think my team is ready for a C-ranked mission. They have completed the necessary amount of D-ranks after all." Kakashi said lazily.

"Hmm, a C-ranked mission, huh? Very well. There's one that will be perfect for your team. An escort mission." The Sandaime Hokage cleared his throat and called out into the hallway. "Please come in, Tazuna."

Only a few moments later the door slide open to reveal Team Seven's client in all his sake indulging glory. A drunkard of a man, shamelessly drinking from a bottle he had in his hands. He was tanned, calloused and very old. Judging by his smell, he had been at the bottle for quite some time.

Tazuna gave his 'protection' a look over before proceeding to snort in distain. "Where're the Ninja I hired, eh? All I see are a bunch of dwarf kiddies."

Team Seven bristled at this. Naruto in particular gave Tazuna a very nasty glare before sighing and speaking stiffly.

"Tazuna, rest assured, we are all competent Ninja, that much I can guarantee you. We should be able to protect you from any threats that may arise, so do not doubt our abilities. To do so is insulting."

The old man snorted and took another swig from his bottle. "I'm the super expert bridge builder Tazuna. I expect you to get me to my home in Nami no Kuni safe and sound. Protect me with your lives."

"If that was what is required," Naruto muttered softly, all the while looking suspiciously at Tazuna. "Then we shall."

Through the exchange that had transpired, Kakashi was able to determine that they had somehow ended up with a C-rank mission and a drunk-ass client. "Everyone, meet up at the west gate in one hour. Pack for a week long trip." That should be enough time for everyone to sober up, in more ways than one.

* * *

And so, Team Seven (And Tazuna) set off to Nami no Kuni, with their heads held high, and their packs on their backs.

Naruto closed his eyes in a sort of farewell as he left from Konoha's gates. He had never really left the village before, and to see these sights...

Forested, heavily so. The sky was so blindingly blue it made one's eyes hurt. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and all was well in the world. (_And he remembers a scene, of a beloved island-nation, one that was just as heavily forested, one that looked strangely similar to-_)

Sakura looked about in slight wonder. Being the daughter of a merchant, she had been out of the village before, but only on short excursions, and she was so young at that time she couldn't remember any of it. This... This was quite the novelty experience.

Sasuke looked about, and recalled better times when he would go into these forests with- (-_With That Man and explore, hunt wild animals, play, learn, be loved..._). The Last Uchiha ruthlessly crushes his wayward thoughts. (_Those times are over, and here I stand... I will avenge my clan._)

"Hmmph. You kids better not slow us down!" Tazuna wetted his lips nervously. "I just want to get home as quickly as possible."

"Maa, Tazuna." Kakashi commented as he busily read his book. "You can't be expecting trouble, can't you? This is a milk-run of a mission after all. There should be no trouble, no danger, right?"

"Ha ha, yeah! Yeah, no trouble..."

Naruto tilted his neck to gaze at Tazuna out of the corners of his eyes. That man... He was hiding something. Naruto's intuition, that Instinct that allowed him to survive and thrive in combat was just going off around Tazuna. Tazuna was definitely hiding something.

No, Naruto was liking the prospects of this mission less and less. He had had a bad feeling from the beginning, and now he was almost certain that something monumental and dangerous would happen.

* * *

That evening, as the group stopped for the night, Kakashi finally taught his group of Genin something worthwhile.

"Alright kiddies, gather round." The Jonin clapped his hands twice. "We're going to start our training!" He eye-smiled.

The rest of Team Seven deadpanned. Sakura raised her hand.

"Sensei, why are you teaching us now, when we're on a mission? Why didn't you teach us anything during the three weeks before we got this mission?" She asked irritably.

"Two reasons. One, this is a milk-run mission. Easy, easy-peasy lemon-squeezy. It should be a piece of cake, that's how easy it is. Therefore, we can afford to be a little more lax. Two, because even though this is a milk-run mission, it never hurts to be prepared, and what I'm about to teach you should be useful during the mission, and for the rest of your Ninja career."

Kakashi took out his book and began to read. "Now, before we begin training I want to talk to you about chakra." Kakashi continued on with his lesson. "Can any one of you tell me what Chakra is?"

Sakura cleared her throat.m(_He didn't give a rason as to why he didn't teach us a friggin thing for the first three weeks..._) "Chakra is the moulding of the physical energy present in every cell of the human body and spiritual energy gained from exercise and experience. Chakra is then channelled through the chakra circulatory system and then manipulated to create techniques that would not be possible otherwise, such as exhaling fire or creating illusions."

Kakashi eye-smiled. "Text-book answer, and a little verbose, but yes, that's correct. Essentially, all you really need to know about Chakra is that it's the stuff that you use to make jutsu, and you don't want to run out of it. Running out of Chakra is very bad, and usually leads to one's death."

"Sensei, are you going to teach us a jutsu?" Sakura asked. Sasuke tensed in excitement (_More techniques I can utilize to kill That Man?_), whilst Naruto looked disgruntled. (_Tch, another Jutsu that I'll undoubtedly have no aptitude for..._.)

"Nope. No Jutsu. You're going to be learning... Tree climbing."

You could hear a pin drop in the sudden silence that fell across the group. Sasuke scowled.

"And just how does climbing trees help us get stronger?" He asked irritably.

"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei! We already know how to climb trees!" Sakura protested.

"Ah, but you're going to be learning how to climb trees without your hands."

Naruto twitched. "Sensei, can you please stop being so cagey and simply show us what you're going to be teaching us?"

"Alright, alright, geez. So un-cute..." Kakashi walked over to a nearby tree. "Aside from the simple fact that you'll be able fight on a vertical surface, tree climbing also helps in your chakra control."

The grey-haired Jonin put a foot on the tree. Then another foot. Then he lifted the first foot... Soon enough he was walking up the tree, seemingly defying gravity. He then proceeded to walk onto the underside of a branch and cling upside down.

Sakura gaped, while Naruto and Sasuke took measures to hide their shock.

"What I did was channel my Chakra to my feet in order to stick to the wood of the tree. This exercise should teach you to channel your Chakra at an even and constant pace. By the way, the feet are considered to be the hardest place to channel chakra to. Therefore if you can master tree climbing, you can master any Jutsu, theoretically at least." Kakashi explained. "So, why don't you all try it out?"

The three Genin looked at each other contemplatively. Then Sakura prepared herself to try and run up the tree...

"Hey, this is easy!" She waved gaily at her bemused teammates.

Kakashi eye-smiled at her before turning back to his book. "Good, good... Good to see that someone gets it. Hey, Sasuke, Naruto! Why haven't you moved yet? We're wasting daylight here, you know."

Naruto nodded resolutely before putting a foot against the tree and expelling a stream of chakra from his foot. There was a flash of light, a loud BANG of a noise, a creaking of wood...

... And the boy was sent flying back in a loud explosion of energy.

"Naruto, you're overloading the technique." Kakashi observed idly. "Too much Chakra, and you're going to end up on your back, groaning in pain."

Naruto nodded, before trying again. This time he managed to make it halfway up the tree, and he was still moving up.

Sasuke attempted to go up his tree at that point. He got two or three steps in, before he slid to the ground and landed on his back with a loud thump.

"Sasuke, now you're under-powering the Technique. You need to put more juice into it. You 're going to end up slipping off of the tree if you use too little Chakra, and you're going to end up flat on your back, groaning in pain."

Kakashi waved gaily to his students. "Well, I'll leave you guys to it then. Keep going up and down those trees until you get it, the both of you. Sakura, you too. You need to work on exercising your reserves after all."

* * *

Naruto grunted as he was blasted off of the tree once again, this time landing smoothly onto his feet.

"This is entirely counter-intuitive." He grumbled. "I know for a fact that I'm using less Chakra than before, so what's the problem now?"

Sasuke grunted in assent.

"Hmm..." Sakura glanced to the side, from where she was walking up her tree once more. "I don't get it. I'm pretty sure it was harder to make a Bunshin than to do this exercise. How did you guys manage it then?"

Naruto sighed. "It was... Extremely difficult for me to create a simple clone. It was much easier to pull off a Kawarimi or a Henge than a Bunshin, and even then it was touch and go at times. I had to literally work night and day in order to pass the Ninjutsu portion of the graduation test. The Bunshin though... I couldn't do it." Naruto admitted reluctantly. "Or rather, the only way I could accomplish the technique was by flooding the entire room with clones in a massive burst of Chakra."

Sakura snorted in slight laughter. "That's..."

"Yes. It was slightly embarrassing. Luckily, my other test scores ended up making up for my less than stellar Ninjutsu grades. I believe Sasuke ended up taking first in the class there."

Sasuke grunted in assent before he tried to go up the tree again, and ended up flat on his back.

"... This is entirely counter-intuitive." He grumbled. "How am I supposed to manage this? And how are you two getting so far up the tree?"

Naruto looked at where he was standing, halfway up his tree.

"Kakashi was right. You have to regulate your Chakra output to a constant level in order to stick to the tree, and you have to make sure that the amount of Chakra you output doesn't waver in the slightest. Precision and quality and control." Naruto ended up slipping off of the tree. "Sakura, it appears as if you have better control over your Chakra than I do. I am currently... Struggling." Naruto scowled in irritation at his own perceived failure.

Sakura looked at her teammates from her perch at the top of her tree. This really was... It was slightly amusing, but it was also pitiful to watch. Those two... They really looked like they needed help, didn't they? And they were nice enough at the very least. Naruto seemed polite enough, and Sasuke-kun... Well, he was Sasuke-kun. Besides...

(_Aren't we teammates_?)

"Hey... If you guys need help... I can give you some pointers." Sakura offered hesitantly.

Naruto considered this for a moment. On the one hand, he'd really prefer if he got this technique down by himself. It would be insulting to his pride if he didn't after all. On the other hand...

He wasn't getting anywhere with this, at all. Any help would be appreciated. And so, Naruto swallowed his pride and accepted Sakura's offer.

"That... That would be... I would be grateful if you did assist me in this endeavor." Naruto said stiffly.

Sasuke mulled over his options before reaching the same conclusion as Naruto did.

(_This way, I can use both of them and make sure Uzumaki doesn't draw away further from me..._)

"Haruno, can you aid me as well-"

"Anything for you, Sasuke-kun!"

Naruto sighed in slight exasperation.

Sakura stopped fantasizing after a while, and quickly took on a more serious expression. "Alright, now the way I thought of this exercise was like..."

* * *

On the second evening of the mission, while everyone else was at rest, Naruto was at work.

Not working on the tree-walking exercise though. With Sakura's tutelage, he had managed to at the very least, get to the top of the tree and back down again. His control wasn't good enough to the point that he could repeat the tree-climbing exercise consistently, but with enough time and practice, he would repeat it consistently.

No, Naruto was working on something else entirely. Yesterday, he had been blasted off of the tree by overloading his feet with Chakra. A sort of Chakra Burst if you will. That got him thinking...

(_Memories, of thin arms holding an invisible sword, battering a black Knight with strength greater than the mightiest of titans, and speed faster than the fastest swordsmen..._)

Could he do something like that to increase his movements in close combat? Naruto eyed a nearby stump and then his hand, which balled into a fist.

Pull back fist. Reinforce with Chakra so that the fist will survive the initial impact. Swing fist, and release burst of Chakra, here-

The fist rocketed through the air, infused with Chakra, as Naruto instantaneously released the energy built up in his fist to reinforce himself. It sailed through the air with a speed that would normally be unattainable to Naruto and a strength that belied his thin frame and wiry arms.

The fist struck the stump with a dull thump, causing the dead piece of wood to shudder violently.

Naruto studied his fist in interest. No damage had been incurred, and he had definitely hit harder and faster than he did before. But it wasn't enough. He could definitely improve this ability, definitely refine it. As it was now, it was incomplete.

It appeared as if some more experimentation would have to be done...

Chakra burst. (_Prana Burst._) He liked the sound of that name.

In the wee hours of the morning, a thoroughly exhausted Uzumaki Naruto stumbled through the undergrowth of the forest in order to rest his body. He was covered in splinters, his muscles were bruised, and he was panting, but he had the queerest look on his face. A look of exhilaration, or fascination, of excitement, of remembrance and nostalgia.

Behind him, the ruined remains of a stump remained spread throughout the small clearing. Of that stump, there were no pieces of splintered wood remaining that were bigger than a finger. Completely and utterly destroyed.

* * *

Sasuke didn't remain idle either. He saw his teammate vanish during the night, and he decided to get his own 'Training' in. Ninjutsu training.

If he couldn't beat Naruto in Taijutsu or Theory, then at the very least he could beat Naruto in Ninjutsu. Because Naruto truly didn't have a particular knack for Ninjutsu. He lacked a certain flair for the subject, a spark if you will.

Sasuke spat out another fireball from his mouth, which ended up impacting against his improvised target, a propped up piece of bark leaned against a stump. Sparks flew and smoke billowed.

Training to reduce the duration of time it took to go through the handseals of the Goukyaku no Jutsu, and then steps to reduce the number of handseals, and then attempting to make it so that he could cast the fireball wordlessly.

He had exerted a great deal of effort into this endeavor, but Sasuke refused to fall behind to Naruto. To do so would be to stain his pride as one belonging to the Uchiha clan after all.

Another fireball. Foom.

The panting boy grinned. At the very least, his Ninjutsu repertoire would be vastly greater than Naruto's. He withdrew a scroll that he had smuggled out of his home, inscribed with fire techniques that shouldn't be too taxing on his Chakra reserves, yet possessing enough stopping power to make him a credible threat on the battlefield.

Uchiha Sasuke refused to fall behind to Uzumaki Naruto. And so, he trained,

Foom.

He ended up meandering back to his sleeping bag, thoroughly exhausted, but the proud possessor of two more Katon Jutsu. He still had some kinks to work through, and he still had to build up his Chakra reserves so that he could cast the Jutsu without having to take breaks, but it was a start.

* * *

Haruno Sakura looked at her teammates with worry and apprehension. They were tired, sore, run ragged. They looked as if they had not had any sleep at all.

Truth be told, she felt a bit forlorn and alone. It was as if Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke were leaving her behind, going off and training all by themselves. They were growing stronger, while she wasn't moving at all...

(_But Sasuke-kun..._)

Sasuke-kun, Sasuke-kun... The magic had gone from that name. Three weeks with her beloved Sasuke-kun, where they were together on a team, and nothing had changed. She was getting nowhere in her quest for Sasuke's heart, and to be quite frank...

... She was tired of it. Tired of that same song and dance, and for the first time in a long time, Haruno Sakura began questioning herself...

(_If not for Sasuke-kun, why did I choose to become a Kunoichi? But... But it's Sasuke-kun! We're supposed to get married, and have kids, and..._)

One niggling doubt. One tiny chink in the armor, one single nail lost from a horse's shoe, but those small things build up so that they have enormous consequences.

* * *

Five days into the trip, Team Seven ended up running into trouble.

About an hour after the group left from their most recent stopping point, Naruto suddenly tensed up and grew more nervous. His eyes darted about more frequently, he shifted his weight constantly, reached for his sword as if he was trying to reassure himself that it was still there, and in general, acted like a very paranoid bastard.

"... You've been fidgeting ever since we broke camp." Sasuke muttered at length. "What, are you scared?"

"Something feels wrong." Naruto said, frowning all the while. "I can't put my finger on it, but I'm getting this suspicious feeling, like we're being watched by someone, or we're about to be attacked..."

"Oi, Naruto, there's nothing around, right?" Sakura said. "If there was anything around, Kakashi-sensei would tell us, right?"

Kakashi raised his head lazily from his book. "There's nothing around right now."

"See!?" Sakura said. "There's really no need to act so nervous and paranoid like that! You're making the rest of us nervous!"

"Ah, I guess. I apologize for startling you then." Naruto tilted his head slightly to survey the area.

(_I feel something... Something's about to happen..._)

And then he saw a puddle on the ground and he completely halted.

(_Puddle. What? It hasn't rained in days. It's been bone dry. There are no creeks in this area, nor are there any rivers or aquifers, so what..._)

"Naruto, why'd you stop moving! We're wasting daylight here!"

"Sakura. Sasuke. Look. The puddle."

"What..." She trailed off as she turned to look at where Naruto was staring, and immediately began extrapolating the same facts as Naruto had.

(_Could this be... An Enemy Ninja...?!_)

It was then that two figures, both dark of hair and eye and both wearing rebreathers that covered the lower half of their faces, leaped out of the puddle and proceeded to trisect an unassuming Kakashi with a wickedly sharp chain that was interspersed with shuriken.

"One down." One of the figures intoned in a gravelly voice.

Sakura shrieked. "Kakashi-sensei!"

Naruto was taken aback but recovered shortly and began issuing orders by instinct. "Sakura, guard the client! Sasuke, long range support. I'll intercept!"

And with that, he withdrew his sword and charged at the masked figures, a quick burst of Chakra enabling him to close the distance faster than the figures could react. His Chakra Burst technique (_Built from memories of a fight against Servants of Madness and Spears in a war over a Holy Grail-_) has not been perfected yet, but even this incomplete stage is more than enough for Naruto to move at speeds he would normally be unable to attain. Behind him, Sasuke and Sakura threw kunai with unerring accuracy, pinning the chain that the enemy Ninja carried to a nearby tree.

And then the melee began. Naruto ducked under a clumsy fist, the masked figure of his target being encumbered by his suddenly useless chain. He dodged to the side of another punch, as the man finally untangled his other hand from his suddenly useless chain and gauntlet, and swung his sword, almost blindly.

Cold, sharp steel sliced through flesh and bone, and the masked Ninja screamed, clutching the stump of what used to be an arm in pain, before Naruto's sword slammed into his chest, tip first, piercing straight through his skin and muscles, slicing through sternum, heart and coming out through the spine and back. The cloaked man gurgled momentarily, and coughed, spraying blood onto Naruto's face, before he went limp.

The other figure howled in rage, and charged Naruto blindly. "Gozu! You bastard, I'll fucking kill you!"

The blond boy narrowed his eyes. (_Have to get my sword free- Shit, can't get my sword free, sword's lodged too deep in the chest, drop sword and draw another weapon? No time, going to have to improvise, this could be troublesome-)_

A brace of shuriken flew through the air, thrown by Sakura, before embedding themselves in the man's arm. He paused in his charge, and howled again, this time with rage-

-But by that time, Naruto had freed his sword with a loud shout and he swung at the man's throat, cutting arteries and windpipe in one clean stroke and sending out a spray of arterial blood before jumping back, as graceful as a lion-

-And then Sasuke put two fingers to his lips, inhaled, and spat out a long stream of fire onto the masked man's form, sending him to the ground, gurgling out pained screams from a cut throat and thrashing about horribly, burning all the while, before he finally lay still and silent.

Naruto swung his sword once in order to clean the blood off of its edge and nodded to Sasuke and Sakura. He looked positively ill and queasy.

"Thank you for the assistance." He nodded in recognition (_And now I have killed. And now I am become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds, a murderer-_) as he ruthlessly crushed any thoughts about what had just transpired under an iron will. (_Ignore it, ignore it, just ignore it..._)

Sasuke nodded back, looking positively grim. (_My god, I never knew that men could __**burn**__ like that..._) Sakura attempted to smile in reassurance, but completely and utterly failed. She turned her head away from the corpses and closed her eyes in self-loathing and disgust. (_Oh my god, Sasuke and Naruto just killed two people. Oh my god, I just helped them kill a person..._)

And over in the sidelines, one Tazuna watched in awe and horror. (_They're just kids, for crying out loud! Is this what Ninja do?_) He felt a bead of sweat begin to drip down his brow, before a hand clamped down onto his shoulder.

"Ah, Tazuna. I hope you'll understand that we'll be having... Words, right? For starters, why the hell were we just attacked by two Chunin-level Ninja, hmm?" Kakashi eye-smiled menacingly.

And over in the sidelines, two men lay broken and dead. One bleeding out, war, blood flowing from a steadily cooling body and pooling on the ground. The other continuing to burn cheerily, orange-yellow flames licking up at the nearby trees merrily.

**A/N:**

**Wave mission is a go. Things may seem to be following canon right now, but the result of this mission will be nowhere NEAR canon. That much I can guarantee you.**

**I'm a little impressed by the favorable reception this story has received. English is not my first language, nor is it my second language, and this story isn't what I'm focusing on right now. It's only a semi-serious story, written for fun more than anything. A hundred favorites and over forty reviews in the span of less than a week? Jesus.**

**I'm trying to use Naruto-verse mechanics primarily, in order to keep things consistent and workable.**

**Once again, any and all criticism is appreciated. It allows me to improve as a writer.**

**I guess this is it. See you all next time.**

**Oh, and if you got the reference hidden somewhere in the chapter above, here's an internet cookie.**


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